NASA’s ability to do anything, from landing a rover on the surface of Mars to capturing massive moon explosions depends on them securing a portion of the US Government’s federal budget. In 1969, the year of the moon landing, 2.31% of federal spending went towards the space program. In 2012, contributions to NASA represented just 0.48% of the overall budget. The mathletes amongst you can probably figure out that this is quite the slide.

NASA and the public

Public opinion has a huge role to play in determining how much money gets spent on cool stuff like space exploration. If people perceive space to be important, NASA is better placed to ask the government to make it rain. It’s what the people want, after all.

“NASA depends on the will of the people, as expressed through their senators and representatives and the president, for its funding and direction. NASA has to take the pulse of the American people and obtain its good will. This has not been easy.” – NASA, Public Opinion of the American Space Program

Many non-profit marketers are faced with a similar problem. How can you keep your cause at the top of people’s minds so that when it comes to staking your claim on resources you’ve got a better shot at getting what you need? Here are some tricks NASA uses to keep space at the top of people’s minds.

The spinning vortex of Saturn’s north polar storm resembles a deep red rose of giant proportions surrounded by green foliage in this false-color image from NASA’s Cassini spacecraft.

Ride the pop culture wave

When dubstep celebrity/globally mocked half-head Skrillex went on a tour of the Johnson Space Centre, NASA didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. Not only were they tweeting pics throughout the day, they also made sure that Buzzfeed got a tasty post out of it called Looks like Skrillex had a pretty fun time at NASA today.

(Buzzfeed, for those who are unaware, are the masters of pop-culture virality and Internet round-up posts. Check out 33 dogs that cannot even handle it right now and you’ll start to get a sense of their editorial mission.)

Celebrity endorsements and cause marketing go together like whiskey and ginger, but it’s all about finding the right celeb. Don’t just get any old famous person – get the most click-baity, super-loved-or-super-hated-or-both personalities for a guaranteed traffic win. Other celebs who fit into this category include Ryan Gosling, Bill Murray, the Biebs.

Appeal to the lowest common denominator

The goal here is to get your cause to appeal to as many people as possible. What’s the one thing that’s guaranteed to get almost everyone giggling? Yup, a well-timed giant penis picture.

In NASA’s case, the offending image was traced on the surface of Mars a few years back. This cheeky image went viral and crashed NASA’s website after appearing on Reddit’s R/Funny Subreddit last month. If you didn’t laugh, you probably don’t have a soul. Whilst this image didn’t officially surface via NASA’s PR department, we suspect someone may have slipped the pic to a Reddittor somewhere along the way… This was a big win for NASA because it got people who normally wouldn’t have given a crap about space exploration to go read a story about Mars.

Laugh along with the common people

Mars doesn’t have the atmosphere it used to. I didn’t read old Yelp reviews—it’s written in the rocks go.nasa.gov/14ZB4gp

— Curiosity Rover (@MarsCuriosity) April 8, 2013

Follow @marscuriosity on Twitter for a personable, tongue-in-cheek look at life on Mars. Let’s be honest, science language can be kinda dry, so NASA have scored big-time by giving the Mars Rover a full-blown personality that invites people to engage. Typical tweets include, “I’m a-firin’ mah lazer!” If you’re trying to communicate complex concepts to the public, meet them half-way by delivering info in a friendly tone using human language that people will understand and respond to.

Spot those opportunities

When Bobak Ferdowsi became “NASA Mohawk Guy” and turned into a viral Internet sensation overnight, NASA didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. He’s since been to SXSW, done a bunch of interviews and continues to tweet about his life at NASA. The lesson: Your spokespeople can spring from anywhere – don’t miss an opportunity to get one of your crew into the spotlight, even if they’re not your typical media go-tos.

All images courtesy of NASA.

Holly Knowlman is a tea-loving Brit living in Toronto. She’s a writer, event inventor and digital communications professional. She enjoys many things including: noisy nights out, technology, contemporary art, adventures, her bike, soup, cider and trashy celebrity culture. Follow Holly on Twitter @HollyKnowlman or check out her blog.

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Technology blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

Mothers are a core demographic for any marketer, after all, everybody has one. But the sheer size of this group means that they’re a hard bunch to target effectively. While moms are some of the leading users of social media, a product’s appeal is significantly different for them in comparison to other consumers. Even mothers with a frantic schedule are likely to still utilize social media to share photos and family updates as it’s a great way to keep people up to date with all the changes that their family is going through. Understanding the makeup of social media usage can help marketers target the right audience for their social marketing campaign.

Research analysis

• A study by the parenting website BabyCenter found that social media is regularly used by over 90% of American mothers.
• eMarketer, a research firm, found that mothers between 18 and 34 actually spend more than twice as much time on social sites than average users.
• Almost twice as many mothers used Instagram, at 27% for photo sharing site versus 15% of the average users.
• More than three quarters of mothers used Youtube, significantly more than the 61% of average users.
• Usage of sites like Facebook and Google+ was similar.

Adjusting your marketing strategy

Mothers who are active online are more interested in sharing pictures, videos, and status updates of their children than they are in general browsing, something that you might have guessed without the benefit of research. The web has replaced casual parental meetings, enabling mothers to socialize on their own time while still taking care of their daily responsibilities. When they are searching for content mothers will quickly abandon sites that are not right on the target. So a site targeting mothers should present all the relevant information up front, and you should pay special attention to your UI/UX. Is your website design up to scratch? The opening hook should be right there on the homepage, and the information should be easy to save and share.

Mothers often search for information on a product or service that is needed right away; they may be looking for a way to share information on their own child, or they want to know what to expect next. They may be researching medical symptoms that their child has, or they want to connect with mothers dealing with similar circumstances. Mothers are very likely to seek advice on social media sites, especially on niche topics. The more concise and user-friendly a site is, the longer a mom will stay.

Mothers marketing tips

Seasoned marketers have already reached out to blogs and coupon sites aimed at mothers. Marketers for a counseling service could place their ads on the websites for mothers of children with learning disabilities; while ads for tutoring services are effective on homework resource websites. Short how-to videos answer questions related to a product or service in a quick and appealing manner. Marketers also do well to attract mothers by advertising through Instagram and Facebook. Marketing to mothers must be on target or it will miss the mark! Is your marketing strategy up to date? Why not brief the Global Services Exchange to source one that’s effective and current from marketing experts.

This blog is by Mimosa Creations, an indie company that specializes in eco-friendly design, art prints, custom illustrations, and writing. Follow them on Twitter at @mimosacreation.

Images Courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Technology blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

What does Google Penguin mean?

We spoke to blur Group’s SEO and PPC Master, Jacky, to get some informed opinion on what the update means.

“No longer can smart html tags and keyword stuffing translate to high rankings. I can see this update being more social media driven – the more people mention you on social media the more relevant you are.

Could that be the reason why Google developed Google+? Are they ‘predicting’ how social media is becoming relevant to the market.” - Jacky, SEO and PPC Master

If we are to agree with Jacky’s comments then it’s easy to assume Google’s domination of the search engine can keep Google+ miles ahead of its competitors.

Google Penguin and Content

The combination of high quality content and social media engagement seems positive but comes with its own set of problems. When we discussed this matter further it brought up an interesting issue as the balance of emphasis is now placed on quality content, and social media engagement has now become of the utmost importance. With smaller companies unable to engage with the social media users at the same level as well known big brands, Google’s championing of content seems to fall away in place of brand awareness.

This is certainly the case when we look at the evolution of social media, originally it evened out the playing field, but now the social media professionals look for association with big brands and the big brands can bring a lot more budget and manpower to bear than smaller brands. This clearly shows that the all encompassing big brand awareness has not only dominated the smaller companies within the social realm, but left these small companies in a diluted pool of ambiguity. Social media is a great indicator of engagement but clearly big brands have such an advantage over small companies in terms of presence even though the smaller brands could, and often are, producing equal if not better quality content.

The problems don’t stop there, as then we move onto questions around how Google judges what content is ‘quality’, and if we are to see a shift towards social media (Google+ promotion is arguably an indication of this) then how does quality shine through over big brand awareness? Small companies seem to be at a severe disadvantage if this is the case. That is unless there is a heavy bias towards rich content with social media more peripheral in its influence.

If you’re at a loss with the new search updates, or you’re looking to get your company back on top of the rankings, just submit a brief with your needs onto the Global Services Exchange. With over 25,000 marketing experts, as well as across other disciplines such as design, media, and innovation, it’s the new way to source services that saves you time and money whilst putting you in touch with the best experts out there.

This blog was written by Kerrith, Junior Community Manger at blur Group.

Image Courtesy of CNaene / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Marketing blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

I’ve been picking up a certain skepticism in the zeitgeist recently, critical of the validity behind putting too much faith in the pull of social media. This line of thinking has sparked a demand for solid measurement of social media ROI to replace exaggerated enthusiasm for likes and a copious but nebulous fan base.

While professional focus is returning to the bottom line, users are experiencing a similar shedding of illusions about just how ‘connected’ having a Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Flickr, Tumblr, etc account makes them.

Where does Path come into it?

Enter the man who saw the niche for a network that highlights quality rather than quantity. Based on psychological principles about natural limits on connectivity and social relationships, Dave Morin conceived Path. The latest addition to the social media market, Path restricts the connections a user can have to 150, corresponding to research stating that this is the maximum number of meaningful relationships a person can maintain in real life.

The mobile-only (iOS and Android) app’s stated purpose is to fill a vacancy in the market in translating our closest relationships and communications onto a convenient platform that mimics the familiarity and intimacy of real world interactions. It seems to have hit a note with Facebook users sick of seeing pictures of the cat owned by that girl they once knew in college, and children they’ve never met, plastered over their social spaces alongside snapshots of someone’s breakfast muffin. Path has seen exponential growth, beginning in Spanish-speaking Central and South America before capitalising on the English-speaking world. It passed the 10 million user mark early this month, and has been on the rise since at a rate of 1 million users per week.

How does it match up?

In the wake of such illustrious buzz, I found a square in the homepage of my smartphone as yet unfilled by an app – whether that denotes a free niche, I’m not so sure – and set out on my own ‘path’. After indiscriminately mining my contacts from all networks to quickly max out my 150-friend limit, Path failed to impress me as offering anything that an easily manageable combination of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram doesn’t do already.

For all the hype, Path is hardly the social revolution it claims to be, nor does it herald a ‘renaissance’ for messaging. Rather, it seems to cherry-pick features from all the existing social platforms and bundle them into a smart interface which takes the best elements of its competitors’ anatomies while adding nothing original. The landing page is reminiscent of Google+, showing posts along a timeline that echoes Facebook, featuring ‘stickers’ similar to Whatsapp images, and accessed via an icon bearing resemblance to Pinterest.

Whether a scaffold of borrowed gimmickry is the best foundation for the ‘deeper relationships’ that Path is trying to forge is a question that the market will eventually answer.

This blog was written by Laura.

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Marketing blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

As we recently said in a previous blog on marketing tribes, you can find some unexpected support for your product or services when you start marketing it. But that doesn’t mean that you should miss out on targeting your core audience correctly. A recent study suggested that a lot of marketing is outdated and does not appreciate the needs of women, highlighting a number of tribes that female marketing executives believed were being overlooked by modern marketing and indeed more could be “discovered” at a later point. Examples include:

• Super athletes – Women who are looking to make an impact in the world of sport.

• Tiger Mother – An intensely disciplined woman who wants to ensure her children are high achievers.

• Beauty Witch – An older woman in her 40s and 50s who spends a large amount on cosmetics and surgery in an attempt to look younger.

For Tracey Follows (chief strategy officer at JWT London) being more flexible in defining the female audience makes good business sense.

“We should be able to eradicate lazy briefs that just state ’housewives with kids’ as the target audience and build a richer and more diverse understanding of women and how to communicate with them through advertising.” - Tracey Follows

Categorisation is a good thing for marketers as it enables them to tailor their campaigns to their specific audiences, however, it’s not great to label your audience as witches. Plus these categorisations are wider than housewife with kids, but it doesn’t encompass the full scope of over half the population of the world. Categorisations are meant to assist, not to offend, or limit your vision.

A good example of narrow vision is in the comic book world. Traditionally comic books have been considered to be the sole obsession of spotty teenage boys. If you’ve ever attended a comic convention you will know that thousands of people attend from a diverse range of genders and backgrounds.

Sadly it would appear that nobody told the people who design the merchandise at Marvel. As a number of commentators have noted Disney have produced comic book T-shirts for both men and women but the messages on both are very different. While the men’s shirt says “Be A Hero” the women’s shirt says “Need A Hero.”

This is disappointing as Marvel themselves were known for being progressive. For example, it was thought that the mutant conflict in the comic X-Men was a subtext for the civil rights movement in the Sixties.

In terms of design this is an important lesson to learn. The text that you write is equally as important as the pictures you choose. This is in stark contrast to Wonder Woman, who is often used as an iconic symbol of empowerment (although equally this could be debated as well!)

It’s also not the first time that critics have reacted to Marvel’s sexism. The Hawkeye Initiative was a response to overly provocative female pictures by placing the male Hawkeye in the same positions to highlight their silliness.

There have been the usual comments on “political correctness” and misogyny and that debate will continue to rage, but with the amount of money that can be spent on marketing it’s vital that marketers adapt to the changing needs and expectations of a significant part of their potential target market.

Rob Turner is an experienced copywriter based on blur Group’s Media Exchange, and outside of copywriting he runs a webcomic. Check him out on Twitter here @ReynardCity.

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Marketing blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

A target audience is useful in focusing your marketing, however, sometimes your product or service gets picked up by a group of people that you’d never have expected to be interested in it, or perhaps they’re appreciating it for reasons you didn’t anticipate. While you may not be prepared to market to them specifically, they can spread your brand further then you may expect. Just check out these examples of surprising tribes…

“Bronies”

The cartoon My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is specifically aimed at young girls. However increasingly older straight men are enjoying it themselves, identifying themselves as “Bronies.”

While some may argue this could seem a bit creepy, a lot of the time it is simply because they enjoy the cartoon and want to share it with other people of a similar persuasion.

“So bad it’s good”

Increasingly people declare themselves as fans of movies, TV shows and so forth that are “so bad it’s good.” A “good” example of this is the cult following dedicated to Ed Wood and notorious rubbish drama The Room, a film that has since become an internet cult reference point in terms of bad acting and bizarre dialogue (including midnight showings where fans throw American footballs and spoons at the screen in time with the action on screen!)

“Fan artists”

A fan is not necessarily someone who sits back and consumes a product. Equally they can engage with it, come up with their own art and interpretation of it. Just check out the Tumblr tag #fanart to see how people can be engaged in a huge range of products. Do not be afraid to share the work of these people!

“Looking for a gift”

Another thing to consider is some people may be looking for a gift for someone else. Therefore it is worth remembering to keep a website simple and easy to show people where to buy things as they may not necessarily be as up to speed with ordering items online as your usual target audience, or know the buzzwords that you employ as a brand for example.

“Multi level”

Pixar are a good example of this one – when people say “family films” inevitably they mean films for children. But with Pixar films there often are multiple levels – the colourful pictures for the younger children, references for savvy young adults and plots that often appeal to Mums and Dads as much as their children (letting your children grow up, a great artist can come from anywhere etc).

The issue now is how exactly do you pitch to someone who is outside the inner circle of your tribe? The good thing about social media and other forms of online marketing you can incorporate these other forms of tribe members without alienating your core audience.

In short sometimes it pays to look beyond what you see as “your” demographic as you could find a lot more!

Rob Turner is an experienced copywriter based on blur Group’s Media Exchange, and outside of copywriting he runs a webcomic. Check him out on Twitter here @ReynardCity.

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Marketing blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

The ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) has recently published the list of the most complained about adverts of 2012. With over 1,000 complaints, Go Compare’s annoying opera singer who gets Stuart Pearce’s ball in the stomach tops the list.

However, there’s no need to get under people’s skin in order to get their attention. Here are ten of the most inspiring TV adverts from last year. They employ drama, humour, animation and other elements in a creative way to engage the audience.

1. ALS Foundation Netherlands: I have already died

“Please support the ALS Foundation Netherlands.

For all those who suffer from ALS.

Not for me, I have already died.”

These powerful lines are part of a campaign for the ALS Foundation Netherlands. ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) is a deadly, incurable disease that causes all of your muscles to stop, one by one. Nine brave ALS patients participated in a TV awareness campaign to be aired after they’ve passed away.

2. Alzheimer Society of BC: Brain Scan

This simple yet clever awareness ad by British Columbia Alzheimer Society combines brain scan imagery with animation in a unique, creative way.

3. Quebec Automobile Insurance Corporation: Messages

Back in the days we used letters, Morse coding and typewriters to communicate. But we never used them while driving…

4. Public Mobile: Margret’s roam rage

Margret M. has a warm heart, a gentle soul, a perfect skin. But when she gets an over the top mobile roaming bill, bad things happen…

Public Mobile’s Super Bowl campaign uses humour and exaggeration to convey a message we can all relate to: We don’t like getting ripped off by billion dollar companies.

5. Guardian open journalism: Three Little Pigs

“Big Bad Wolf Boiled Alive”

This fairytale-inspired article on the Guardian is followed by a sequence of dramatic events, including police raid of the three little pigs’ house and crowds of angry mortgage payers taking to the streets…

6. Atria: Dinner

So you’ve got the girl/guy of your dreams coming over for dinner?

Candles are alight, wine glasses and plates are all set. Now on to the cooking part…

7. BGH Air Conditioner: Dads in briefs

Part of a campaign series, Dads in Briefs uses humor and drama to make a boring product interesting.

8. Philips Azur Iron / Philips ProTouch Steamer: The Art of Ironing

How artistic can you get with an iron, a steamer and a white sheet? It turns out Philips have the answer…

9. Axe: Susan Glenn

“I remember her.

Not a girl, but THE girl…”

Susan Glenn was his high school crush. In fact, she could have been every man’s dream. But now she’s all but a bitter sweet memory…

10. Good Books: Havana Heat

Let Good Books take you through a passionate, sexy, mysterious journey under the burning Havana sun. This has got to be one of the best animation TV ads ever, hands down.

Image Courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.

Adam is a writer, blogger, Internet marketer and content curator based on blur Group’s Content & Marketing Exchange. Check him out on Twitter here: @AdamTroudart, http://twitter.com/AdamTroudart .

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit blur Marketing blog homepage, or if you’d  like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.

When I think about viral video, I picture a stark, corporate boardroom and a red-faced, cardiac-arrest-prone C-suite exec yelling at his frightened social media team.

“MAKE ME A VIRAL VIDEO!”

I believe these situations to be true to life, because people have told me about them. Luckily I also believe that in general the days of flagrant misunderstandings of the mechanics of the Internet amongst senior managers are waning, making my boardroom fantasy somewhat outdated. But the science of virality is still something which troubles marketers and academics alike and keeps them awake during those long, lonely nights.

How Can You ‘Make’ a Video Go Viral?

One answer, of course, is to fake it. YouTube video “Pig Rescues Baby Goat” racked up  over 7 million views and received news coverage on a host of national news and entertainment platforms including ABC’s Good Morning America. The thing is though, the whole thing was a complete (and potentially slightly cruel) fabrication. Created by comedian Nathan Fielder as part of his new show Nathan For You, a satirical skewering of the reality TV format, it was revealed the whole thing was created under the guise of saving an ailing petting zoo.

I won’t spoil it for you, but the punchline really is excellent.

Cute animal videos seem to perform consistently well on the virality scale (DID YOU SEE that video of the spinning monk seal. Freakin’ adorable.) But what’s the link between a cute if possibly mentally under-stimulated seal and something like Harlem Shake or Gangnam Style? What made these catch on, whilst other would-be trends, like milking or batmanning, fell by the wayside?

I’ve Got the Key, I’ve Got the Secret

Academic and author Jonah Berger believes that virality is linked to the idea of social currency. “It’s not luck, it’s not random, it’s not cats. There’s a science to why things catch on,” he says. Berger believes that virality is linked to social currency – the notion that what we say or share effects how people see us, and so we seek to share things that are remarkable, because it makes us look remarkable.

Pasting Alain De Botton’s Tweets into my Facebook feed – do I look remarkable, bro?

This idea runs contrary to the ideas proposed by Malcom Gladwell in The Tipping Point, which suggests that influencers within networks are responsible for pushing specific content pieces into public consciousness. Arguments contain elements of truth – content sometimes goes viral because it is shared by key influencers, accelerating its trajectory into our daily lives. And sometimes the content itself ripples through our digital spheres for days before the media or a famous person on Twitter gets hold of it.

Our personal interactions with viral content depend largely on how developed our own networks are and how engaged we are with them. It’s no surprise to Redditors that the same hilarious memes surface on Facebook a few days after they first saw the post. There is no single ‘key’ to virality – yet common traits can be excavated. Videos go viral when they make a large mass of people feel something – a sense of awe, ahhhh or arrgh. ‘Awe’, like when Felix Baumgartner jumped from space. ‘Ahhh’, like a million and one cat videos or ‘Arrgh’ like the WTF of a guy jumping headfirst into a frozen pond. Like succesful literature, successful viral videos are the ones that tap into the common ground emotions that make us human, making them compelling to a bulk of viewers.

Holly Knowlman is a tea-loving Brit living in Toronto. She’s a writer, event inventor and digital communications professional. She enjoys many things including: noisy nights out, technology, contemporary art, adventures, her bike, soup, cider and trashy celebrity culture. Follow Holly on Twitter @HollyKnowlman or check out her blog.

Bing and Google are going toe to toe to see who can be top of the search engine leader board. At stake are tens of billions of dollars in web based advertising revenue and PPC income, an income source that will likely surpass sales of operating systems and software that companies like Microsoft currently rely upon. A new search engine report reveals another reason Google is still winning the search engine war. While Bing is noted for its many fine qualities, it delivers 5 times more malicious results than its nemesis. Google has worldwide recognition to the point that a web search is often called “Googling.” Google searches are also reportedly faster than Bing’s for a number of topics. So should marketers bother to pay attention to Bing?

Bing’s Relentless Marketing is Working

Bing’s Marketing Weaknesses

Expectations

No longer can you speak from one platform for all to hear… instead you have to covertly cross platforms to share your information separately.  Like divorced parents communicating with their children, each message written, each photo uploaded, must be posted or tweeted for the benefit of both.

TweetDeck covertly announced last month that its users could no longer post to both Facebook and Twitter simultaneously. The powerhouses have begun dividing up territory and the battlefield has become 3rd party applications. Those freedom fighting independent developers that committed to making our virtual-social-lives easier have become the ideological space for which the giants can fight out their social influence. The Tweetdeck revelation came around half a year after Facebook acquired Instagram. Communications between Twitter and Instagram broke down shortly after and the social media crisis began to heighten.

It leads us to ask where ail it stop? Google could easily stop users visiting any other social site other than their own Google+ if you browse with Chrome. As we hear news of Evan Williams and Biz Stone working on two new websites ‘with the twin ambition of rethinking online publishing and dialogue’ we have to ask if this spells more bad news? Whilst they try to revolutionise the current model we must prepare for another branch out of our, rather schizophrenic looking, social media existence.

The over valuing of Facebook stock is on of the things contributing to this closing down of communication. The valuation of advertising on the sites soon began to dictate how sharing users out was no longer in the networks interest. Seemingly it has taken a step further than ‘no sharing users’, to actively making it difficult to belong to multiple social media platforms. As we all know each social site has its own merits and by asking users to choose ‘to live with mummy or daddy’ means that one company loses, but more importantly the very users that gave them so much bargaining power by themselves sharing (the irony is reaching breaking point) will suffer the most.

Social sites accountability should always remain with its users but the scales are tipping at an alarming rate toward profit and self interest. So batten down the hatches folks, mutual assured destruction is immanent. Watch out for the next proxy war…

Image Courtesy of Vichaya Kiatying-Angsulee / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Is this your first time here on a blur Group blog? Why not check out our About or How it Works pages to find out more about the Global Services Exchange. If you’d like to read more blogs then you can visit the blur Marketing blog, or if you’d like a more diverse selection of reading material then check out the other blur Group blogs.